The world has changed significantly in the past three years, and the health care industry is no exception. But one thing remains a constant: where you get your health care matters. Trinity Health Of New England continues to rise to the occasion, providing safe, accessible, and value-driven care throughout Connecticut and western Massachusetts. “We’re focused on meeting the patients where they are and staying with them throughout their health care journey”, says Claudio Capone, Vice President of Strategy and Business Development for Trinity Health Of New England. “And now we’re working on supporting the coordination of their care every step of the way.”
Changes to the Industry
There is a growing demand for easily accessible, high-quality outpatient clinical services. This includes changes to care delivery that make it more patient friendly and cost effective, and more specialized health care services outside of the hospital setting. Trinity Health Of New England’s data projections show inpatient volume at major hospitals will likely decrease about a percent over the next three to five years. Meanwhile, ambulatory care is expected to increase by 3%, and virtual urgent care, and community practices by about 7%. “Think about a patient with Multiple Sclerosis (MS),” says Capone. “Just three to five years ago infusion treatments were only done in the hospital, which can be limited to patients who live 20 or 30 minutes away from the hospital. The patient may have days they’re not feeling well and still have to face that trip into the hospital. Now, with the incredible advancements and progress we have seen on the clinical side of patient care, once that initial treatment is done in the hospital, follow-up infusions, for example, can be done in our ambulatory centers, closer to the patient’s home. We try to think like the patient, and ask ourselves, ‘Where can we meet you to fit care more easily into your life?’”
Adapting to Meet the Need
It’s not just MS treatments that are shifting away from hospital-setting to outpatient settings. Dozens of specialties, including orthopedics, cardiology and pain management, are now moving treatments and procedures traditionally done in the hospital to ambulatory centers. At Trinity Health Of New England, their new Ambulatory Access Centers are providing a space for this transition. All of their Ambulatory Access Centers have primary care as its base, plus, at many of their locations, laboratory services (such as blood draw), radiology, cardiology, pulmonology, obstetrics (OB), urology, rheumatology, orthopedics, and physical therapy, all under one roof, bringing convenience and cutting costs for patients and payers. “The great part is, we can really customize which specialty is in each center,” says Capone. “We look at the data for each area and see which specialty is in the most demand for that zip code, and that’s what we put into that particular Access Center.” Additionally, a growing footprint of Urgent Care facilities helps get non-acute care needs cared for quickly and easily. Telehealth plays a big role in adapting to the changing landscape. The ability to access care quickly and remotely has become increasingly important to patients, and now they can get answers right through their computer or cell phone
Setting the Standard High
Trinity Health Of New England’s standard of care sets their Ambulatory Access Centers and outpatient services apart from the others. For example, their newly renovated and rebuilt oncology suite in Enfield will overlook a beautiful garden area for patients coming in for chemotherapy. “This calming center was designed with our faith-based background in mind, focusing on holistic care, including the mind, body, and spirit,” says Capone. “We see all of you as the patient, and we don’t want you coming into a sterile environment for a difficult treatment. We want to set a standard for great quality of care, and also patient experience.” Programs available within Trinity Health Of New England also support patients by remaining by their side, helping to coordinate care throughout their health care journey. For example, in some specialty departments such as urology, where a patient may require multiple visits or procedures, they offer the support of a Nurse Navigator, who acts like a personal concierge, guiding the patient through the process. “This makes it a care team approach, not just the patient navigating this journey by themselves,” says Capone. “We’ve seen such great outcomes with this program in urology, we’re looking to expand it to other specialties, too.”
Value in Health Care
Patients are the top priority at Trinity Health Of New England. When hospital leaders talk about value in health care, they say they’re describing care that offers the best outcome, with the best patient experience, at the most reasonable cost. They are hyper-focused on achieving value in health care and keeping the patient’s needs at the forefront of the decisionmaking process. “Our daily work supports our larger Mission to improve the lives of our patients, and further our communities,” says Capone. “We believe that every patient who comes to our facilities, no matter the circumstance, deserves optimal care, in a safe environment, at a reasonable cost.”
To book an appointment with one of Trinity Health Of New England’s expert clinical providers, visit TrinityHealthOfNE.org/Schedule or call 833-C-YOU-NOW
